Make Ahead
Pickled Prunes
Popular on Food52
143 Reviews
RaRa
November 26, 2022
Thanks for a great recipe! I have recently used this brine for figs and persimmons as well as prunes, delicious! Star anise also is a great spice add.
Kerry G.
May 14, 2016
...and, because I liked the acidity the vinegar provided, plus the lovely sweet citrus imparted by the orange, I was inspired to make a mixed up version of prunes in brandy. I simmered prunes in brandy, freshly squeezed orange juice, sugar, pinch of salt, one vanilla bean, and a dollop of orange marmalade until sauce syrupy and prunes very soft. Removed from heat and added a splash of sherry vinegar. The vinegar is key!
Kerry G.
February 10, 2016
Delicious and so easy. I didn't have pink peppercorns so I omitted. Really, really yummy with lightly sweetened goat cheese followed with a chaser slice of cold crisp apple (and repeat...and repeat...) ;-)
Midge
April 17, 2013
I'm with mrslarkin. Total winner material.
hardlikearmour
April 17, 2013
Thanks, Midge. I confess this is one of my favorite recipes (of my own recipes at least)!
LeBec F.
April 17, 2013
This is terrific and has my brain zipping around like Tinkerbelle- trying to think of various uses.......... Thinking about balsamic and strwberrries so maybe strawberries mixed w/ it(cut up) and topped with a dollop of mascarpone? And then what about pairing them w/ foie gras or pork pate ravs>> Foie Gras Ravs tossed w/ sauteed jerusalem artichoke matchsticks and a little minced pickled prunes.... or Peking Ravs stuffed with French country pork pate and dressed wth tamari and a little pickled prunes.....It reminds me of a similarly spiced strudel filling i do where the prunes are steeped in tea.... so i wonder how these pickles would taste if tea leaves were included (and then removed after the simmering.) What do you think? How fun! I think my go-to use would be served with a country pork or duck pate. How inspiring these prunes are!
hardlikearmour
April 17, 2013
Glad they could inspire you. There's a recipe for Danish Pickled Prunes in Diana Henry's book, Salt Sugar Smoke, that plumps the prunes in tea before pickling them.
LeBec F.
April 17, 2013
wow! do you know that because you do a lot of recipe research or is that just serendipitously found knowledge?!and more important, what do YOU think about that flavor combo? thx.
hardlikearmour
April 17, 2013
Just luck. I happened to buy the book after the recent Piglet review. I imagine tea would go well with the prunes.
nannydeb
February 23, 2012
I FINALLY got around to making these and they're delicious! I'm wondering if after the liquid is reduced, do you think I could can them for Christmas presents? I know lots of prune lovers.
hardlikearmour
February 23, 2012
Yes, but you need to make more liquid. Abbie and I discussed it earlier this year via e-mail so I'll find the thread and forward it to you.
Molli D.
October 25, 2020
Hello——-made these and everyone absolutely loved the flavor!
Now my friends are “suggesting” a jar for Christmas—could you please provide a canning method?
Now my friends are “suggesting” a jar for Christmas—could you please provide a canning method?
BoulderGalinTokyo
February 8, 2012
Just made these for the first time and they were wonderful- such an explosion of flavor! My hubby won't let me make anything unless I reduce the sugar content. I used a liquid sweetner, only half a cup, and still the syrup was thick and delicious. Also sub 12 kumquats because that's what I had, and they were great too.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
hardlikearmour
February 8, 2012
Ooohh.... I love the idea of kumquats sliced up in this! I'm thrilled you tried them and enjoyed them!
JuliaB
January 16, 2012
Just made my first batch of these little gems, substituting Jerez sherry vinegar, grains of paradise pepper and Meyer lemon peel (which was so lovely to chew on afterwards!). Thank you for such a lovely recipe!
hardlikearmour
January 17, 2012
I'm glad you enjoyed them, and your substitutions sound delicious! I love Meyer lemon and grains of paradise.
giuliettanicoletta
January 11, 2012
Another converted household chiming in! The first batch disappeared immediately; this will now be something I keep on hand at all times if I can possibly help it. (I can relate to aargersi's habit of eating them right out of the jar.) Thank you, HLA!
gingerroot
November 26, 2011
These are amazing, hardlikearmour! They have been on my must-try list since you posted them, and I totally regret not making them sooner. I especially love the bites with the peppercorn. So far my favorite way to eat them is to spread a toasted baguette slice with a mild blue cheese and then top it with a prune and a drizzle of syrup. So delicious!!
hardlikearmour
November 26, 2011
I'm glad you tried them, and your serving suggestion sounds amazing!
aargersi
December 5, 2011
Oh I love that - I have a batch of them and I have just been eating them straight out the jar whenever I walk by the fridge!!!!
TheWimpyVegetarian
November 26, 2011
I'm making these tomorrow! I can't wait!! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, HLA!
hardlikearmour
November 26, 2011
Thanks, CS! I did have a great Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy the prunes.
AntoniaJames
November 5, 2011
Had these today at a food52 potluck. Sensational!! Thinking maybe some of my very special friends might be receiving these for the holidays. Just amazing. ;o)
hardlikearmour
November 6, 2011
Thank you, AJ! I'm thrilled you enjoyed them, and wish I could've been at the potluck with you - I bet it was a great one.
AntoniaJames
November 6, 2011
Yes, it was sensational, in all respects. Hats off to TasteFood for hosting a truly magical potluck. Great people, great food . . . what you would expect from the FOOD52 community!! I'm going to make a mixed batch of these, using prunes and figs. I think the figs would add a nice dimension, especially in flavoring the syrup. I tend to find cardamom to be quite assertive -- I think it's one of those spices that speaks more loudly to some than others -- so I'm tempted to head these more in the direction of a Gibassier, with star anise and maybe just a few crushed cardamom seeds. Stay tuned! ;o)
hardlikearmour
November 6, 2011
They were definitely spiced for the cardamom contest! I considered adding star anise when I first made them, but was worried it would become the predominant flavor. I'm sure it will be delicious with the orange and prunes and figs - definitely report back!
vvvanessa
November 7, 2011
funny-- i was trying to write a shopping list for the prunes from memory, and i wrote down "star anise" before i realized the recipe doesn't use it. plums and star anise are one of my favorite flavor combinations, so i guess i was going on instinct : )
Bevi
November 5, 2011
Hi HLA - I made these today and they are super delicious! I had white peppercorns, so I used a few of them. All the flavors are lovely together. I reduced the syrup and have the prunes percolating in the fridge. I am taking them to a dinner in a few days, to be served over homemade cognac ice cream. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
hardlikearmour
November 5, 2011
Thanks, Bevi! Homemade cognac ice cream sounds fabulous, and I bet they will go quite nicely with it.
vvvanessa
October 14, 2011
these are ridiculously good. emphasis on the ridiculously.
hardlikearmour
October 14, 2011
Thanks, tripleV! It definitely exceeded my expectations when I first made it.
lapadia
October 14, 2011
Just wanted to say that I am so glad to have had the opportunity to try these! My husband says he would like to try them w/o the pink peppercorns...will let you know when I try that :)
stilllifewithwhisk
October 5, 2011
I just can't get over how delicious these are. They are other-worldly good. What a fabulous recipe; they're now a house staple.
hardlikearmour
October 5, 2011
Thank you! I think they are surprisingly delicious, and I'm glad you agree!
ladykave
September 14, 2011
These are AMAZING. I must always keep a jar in the house at all times now. They're great on a cheese plate, cut up into salads, as a garnish for pork, duck, and chicken, and the sauce is delicious mixed into salad dressings or drizzled over ice cream. GENIUS.
hardlikearmour
September 14, 2011
Thank you, ladykave! I'm glad you like them. I like the syrup in bubbly water with lemon juice as a soda, too.
boulangere
May 15, 2011
Midge, I'm so glad you commented on this. Somehow it had gotten past me. My mother grew up on a farm in Michigan, and used to tell of her mother making stewed prunes with cream skimmed from milk from their cows "because we were so poor". Many years later, guess what turned up on the dessert menu at Chez Panisse. This looks heavenly. I need a dessert for a Tuesday luncheon, and I've already got the gelato. Thank you!
Midge
May 15, 2011
Helen's All Night Diner brought a jar of these to our Boston potluck/rhubarb extravaganza yesterday and they were sensational. Will definitely be trying them in the near future!
boulangere
May 15, 2011
Much as I've grown to love Montana (I'm a Cal gal), it's a long way from everywhere. Including California.
hardlikearmour
May 15, 2011
I'm tickled you enjoyed them! I'm jealous about your potluck/rhubarb extravaganza, was it fun?
boulangere
May 15, 2011
I'm thinking of trying to arrange a meetup somewhere in the area of the PNW this fall. Would you be interested? I have a nephew who lives in Seattle who would likely love to have us invade their kitchen and feed them.
Midge
May 15, 2011
It was so much fun. There was talk of a pickling potluck this summer. It's a long way to come, but just know that you're both welcome to join us!
boulangere
May 15, 2011
SKK lives in Seattle, too. Let's give this some thought. And Midge, we'll let you know when, too!
Sagegreen
May 15, 2011
wish it were possible to have considered a meet up in Boston, but it is graduation-pa-looza out here. If anybody has time to come to western Mass this next weekend, I hope to do some rhubarb pickling!
Midge
May 15, 2011
We missed you Sagegreen; will keep you posted about any summer potluck plans. Rhubarb pickling sounds so cool, thanks! Going to Vermont next weekend, hoping it's not too late to forage ramps and fiddleheads..
Sagegreen
May 15, 2011
Thanks, that would be great. June 4th is the big strolling of the heifers in downtown Brattleboro with a record breaking endeavor to make the world's largest smoothie with all local ingredients! I hope to attend.
fiveandspice
May 15, 2011
Oh yes! She had made them with mixed dried fruits and they were beyond tasty!
ChaosTheory
February 24, 2011
Mmmmmm... I made a remixed version of these last night using what I was able to lay my hands on in the pantry. (Where on earth have my cardamom and coriander both gone????) Wanting for the right spices, I was forced to make several substitutions. I used about 1/2 the sugar, a mix of ground cinnamon, roughly crushed black peppercorns, whole cloves, and 2 star anise pods and a splash of cherry cider in place of the orange blossom water (because, why not!). They are divine. I spooned them over Greek yogurt and topped them with almonds for an amazing take-to-work lunch. I'm excited to try this method and various spice blends with other dried fruits, too... Thanks for the inspiration.
hardlikearmour
February 24, 2011
Awesome! I love how versatile this recipe really is, and am glad to hear how well your version came out!
lapadia
February 16, 2011
Cheers and Congratulations to your "runners-up" status, HLA...this is a lot to smile about!
hardlikearmour
February 16, 2011
Thanks, lapadia! Prunes vs. cake isn't really much of a contest ;). I've already picked out what I'm getting from the WS catalog.
hardlikearmour
February 16, 2011
A new pair of kitchen shears (Wustoff pull-apart) & an Emile Henry Baking Dish (though I haven't settled on the exact one I want.)
hardlikearmour
February 16, 2011
@dymnyno. Thanks! I'm really happy that multiple people have tried it and made their own variations. Love food52!!!!
fiveandspice
February 16, 2011
So true - prunes can be a hard sell :). But, for its versatility, uniqueness, and awesome flavor, this recipe is a definite winner!
hardlikearmour
February 16, 2011
thanks, fiveandspice! I'm just tickled cooks that I admire have actually tried my recipe ;)
dymnyno
February 16, 2011
At one time the Prune Advisory Board had a huge ad campaign to change the name and perception of prunes by calling them dried plums.
mrslarkin
February 16, 2011
yes, dymnyno! one of the reasons why I especially liked hla's recipe is because she calls them Pickled Prunes and not Pickled Dried Plums ;)
gingerroot
February 16, 2011
Cheers, Sara! I know I will love these - and just a few hours ago the Beard Foundation tweet was "Who said prunes aren't sexy?" with a link to their blog and a menu by chef April Bloomfield, including a prune-armagnac ice cream. Thanks for such a lovely recipe!
hardlikearmour
February 17, 2011
Thanks for everyone's encouragement! I was really quite delighted to be a finalist, and even more delighted so many of you offered such kind words.
AntoniaJames
February 14, 2011
The brown fig + Meyer lemon and orange zests + white wine vinegar variation turned out sensationally. Went easy on the cardamom, included a cinnamon stick, and a few crushed grains of paradise. I reduced the sugar by half, thinking the sweetness of the figs would make up for it. They're pretty tart but delicious. I made them the night before I went out of town for a few days, so they actually were able to sit for 72 hours before I tasted them. So, so good. ;o)
hardlikearmour
February 14, 2011
That sounds delicious! I think a pod of star anise would work with that mix. Nice, AJ!
AntoniaJames
February 14, 2011
Actually, I did put a pod or two of star anise in it! So delicious. ;o)
dymnyno
February 13, 2011
I butterflied and stuffed a pork loin with this(chopped up) last night and it was fabulous! I made a little sauce by deglazing the pan with a little apple cider and then swirled some butter and Dijon mustard to make a light sauce to dribble over the pork.
haapi
February 13, 2011
Hmmmm, how would these be with the cardamom orange pound cake?
hardlikearmour
February 13, 2011
Pretty tasty, I'd bet! Add a little whipped cream and probably would be divine.
Sydney
February 12, 2011
Wow! Now this definitely contributed to tonight's heavenly dessert- Turkish figs and golden raisins steeped in white balsamic vinegar with similar spices over Greek yogurt. Thank you so much for the inspiration! <3
hardlikearmour
February 12, 2011
Awesome! Sounds really delicious. The community here is great, and I love how we inspire each other.
melissav
February 12, 2011
Just whipped up a batch. They are so so good right out of the pot, I can't imagine how good they are going to be tomorrow for breakfast over oatmeal.
Daphne
February 11, 2011
So excited to try this!
I eat prunes every day, as does my Dad and his Dad...
This Christmas we made Prune Ice Cream with Armagnac from Bouchon. Fantastic!
It combines the slightly sour ,creamy creme fraiche with the full sweetness of prunes and the potent Armagnac. Will make again! Especially good right out of the ice cream maker.
Thank you for the recipe!
I eat prunes every day, as does my Dad and his Dad...
This Christmas we made Prune Ice Cream with Armagnac from Bouchon. Fantastic!
It combines the slightly sour ,creamy creme fraiche with the full sweetness of prunes and the potent Armagnac. Will make again! Especially good right out of the ice cream maker.
Thank you for the recipe!
AntoniaJames
February 10, 2011
I used a rosemary and orange peel red wine vinegar that I made during one of several vinegar rampages last winter -- the herb notes are nice with the almost resin-y character of the cardamom and grains of paradise that I subbed for the red peppercorns. This is such a good recipe. I'll be making another batch soon . . . . .I simply love the idea of using golden prunes, and Hamada comes to one of our local markets, so I'll have to run some down . . . and thinking I'd use white wine vinegar, and change up the spices a bit, too. (I have a batch of Turkish brown figs pickling now in a white wine vinegar and citrus peel brew, inspired by this.);o)
mrslarkin
February 10, 2011
Hooray for Pickled Prunes! I can't wait to make them! Congrats on the EP and on being a finalist, hla!
hardlikearmour
February 10, 2011
Thanks, all for your kind words! I'm really excited to be a finalist. My work day has been crazy (a dog tried to eat me, and a client was on a cell phone meeting for an hour during a scheduled appointment - long enough for me to spay a dog, then do the appointment!) so this was a pleasant and welcome surprise! Thanks, A&M, and my wonderful food52 friends.
BubbaQ
February 10, 2011
These sound amazing! Do you open up the cardamom pods and use just the seeds inside, or use the whole pods? Thanks
hardlikearmour
February 10, 2011
I opened them, but you could easily use the whole pods to avoid biting into whole cardamom seeds (something I enjoy, but not everyone does) You could also use a mortar and pestle to roughly grind the spices. It's a very forgiving and adaptable recipe!
melissav
February 10, 2011
Congrats! These had winner written all over them. As soon as I can snag some orange flower water, I am going to mix up a batch.
AntoniaJames
February 10, 2011
Hey, melissav, I didn't have any orange flower water and made them without and they are just great as is!! (I also subbed grains of paradise for the red peppercorns because, inexplicably, I was out of them. That was a good choice, too.) Next time I'm going to add extra orange peel and some Meyer lemon peel, too, because the peel is just as tasty as the prunes themselves! ;o)
hardlikearmour
February 10, 2011
I agree, AJ! The peel is really yummy, and extra would be a great idea.
TheWimpyVegetarian
February 10, 2011
Yah!!!! Major congrats hardlikearmour! this looks fabulous! I'm going to make these over the next couple days for sure!
gingerroot
February 10, 2011
Yipee! I am so thrilled for you, hardlikearmour! Congrats on being a finalist - I can't wait to try these.
AntoniaJames
February 2, 2011
Made some of these last night, and just tasted a few. They're so good!! I didn't have any pink peppercorns so I used grains of paradise. Definitely a keeper!! Would love to know about other pickle recipes that you make . . . . .;o)
hardlikearmour
February 2, 2011
Awesome, AJ. I'm so glad you liked them; makes me happy inside! I love grains of paradise, too.
Sagegreen
February 1, 2011
Love your combinations here!
hardlikearmour
February 1, 2011
I was hoping you'd spot this! Hope you survive yet another winter storm.
gingerroot
February 1, 2011
YUM!! Every kid in Hawaii grows up snacking on pickled prunes - locally known as prune mui (when prunes are wet) or li hing mui (when dried). They are salty-sweet-sour taste bombs. I can almost taste these - I bet they are amazing!
hardlikearmour
February 1, 2011
Thanks, gingerroot! The ones I made are not salty, but they are taste bombs. Next time I'll add some salt and see how it works out.
wssmom
January 31, 2011
I saw "pickled" and I thought, Huh? I should have known better. Sounds awesome!
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
I thought it sounded somewhat crazy, but right up my alley at first. They are a nice balance of tart and sweet.
dymnyno
January 31, 2011
Hmmmmm this is really creative and sounds delicious! Nice pic, too.
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
Thanks, dymnyno. When I saw the article I thought it was a brilliant idea, so had to try it with my own spin.
AntoniaJames
January 31, 2011
I have a quart of nice orange/rosemary red wine vinegar that I made last year, which would be perfect for this. The rosemary is very subtle, plus I like a light herb note with cardamom. Thanks for posting this recipe!!! I'm making these this week. ;o) P.S. I make a prune + smoky tea + cardamom + pink peppercorn tea loaf (my own recipe) . . . we're definitely on the same wavelength here.
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
Nice, AJ. I love smoky tea, and was contemplating doing a smoked earl grey & cardamom caramel recipe!
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
PS. I don't see your tea loaf recipe listed! Seems like a glaring omission.
AntoniaJames
January 31, 2011
I'll try to . . . but I can't post it until I can test it to confirm amounts, times, etc. It's in a spattered, cryptic, back-of-the-envelope state right now, plus I've been dealing with a mal/not-functioning refrigerator since Friday . . . . the repair guy came today, but I'm still not sure the problem has been corrected . Quite a challenge. You get the picture. ;o)
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
Fromage Blanc from Cypress Grove, one of my favorite goat cheeses! (though their Humboldt Fog is my absolute favorite.) They're really easy to make, the hardest part is not snacking on them right away!
hardlikearmour
January 31, 2011
I just buy a big hunk, so there's plenty to go around. Love to eat it with fresh figs and a light drizzle of honey!
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